Chapter 76

"Old dog, you're quite smart." Amu's face instantly darkened.

"Of course... I'm very smart at critical moments." Lao Lu put on a strained smile.

"I really hope your teammates can see your face." Amu took out five "Dao" from his pocket and scattered them on the ground like feeding pigeons.

Lao Lu hurriedly knelt down to pick up each "Dao" and put them in his pocket.

"Hehe... my teammates will understand me." Lao Lu patted the dust off his hands, "I've long warned them that 'I'm very smart at critical moments.' They didn't expect me to betray them, and I can't do anything about it."

Amu's face twisted into a grimace as he handed the locked box and the golden key to Lao Lu.

"Then the next move is up to you."

...

In the "recipient's" room.

Qi Xia was sitting in a chair with his eyes closed, resting.

"Prisoner's Dilemma?" he murmured, "No, it should be the 'Bucket Theory'..."

"The weakest member of the team will determine the overall strength of the team..." Qi Xia's fingers tapped lightly on the table, timing in his mind, "But which 'board' belongs to our bucket..."

"The spies from both sides have probably already met the 'sender.'" He kept his eyes closed, trying to simulate the scene of their meeting in his mind.

"About ten minutes have passed, and our 'spy' hasn't delivered the letter, which means Lin'e's persuasion failed. After all, a woman in love has no reason to personally kill her lover."

"As for the other side..."

Qi Xia opened his eyes and played with the silver key on the table.

"Lao Lu has most likely already betrayed us."

His expression grew colder as he said, "From now on, the other side will have the help of two 'spies,' and the situation is developing in the worst possible direction."

"The good news is that the 'Bucket Theory' is now officially invalid, and our team no longer has a weak link." Qi Xia slowly revealed a cold smile, "Next is the 'MiG-25 Effect.'"

At that moment, a voice came from the doorway: "When the Soviet Union was building the MiG-25 fighter, even though all its components were inferior to those of the United States, it could still become a world-class fighter by improving its overall performance. This is the 'MiG-25 Effect,' right?"

Qi Xia turned his head to see the "spy" Jiang Ruoxue standing at the door, looking at him expressionlessly.

She was holding a locked box.

"Do you think the 'MiG-25 Effect' is correct?" Jiang Ruoxue asked.

"I'm not sure," Qi Xia said expressionlessly, "I'm not sure if the 'parts' I have are useful, but your appearance has dispelled all my doubts."

"Your sudden enlightenment when I appeared? You must be a once-in-a-century genius." Jiang Ruoxue placed the box on the table in front of Qi Xia with a hint of sarcasm, "Now, please use your 'MiG-25 Effect' to open this box."

Qi Xia carefully examined the box, which was securely locked with a golden lock.

He tried the silver key he had, but it wouldn't open the lock.

He picked up the box and gently shook it, hearing the "rustling" sound inside.

There was a letter.

"How should I address you?" Qi Xia asked.

"Jiang Ruoxue."

"Jiang Ruoxue, did you crush the key just now?" Qi Xia asked.

"Do you think your teammate would give me the key?" Jiang Ruoxue crossed her arms, as if watching a play, "Someone as smart as you, can't open the box without the key, right?"

"It's a good thing she didn't give you the key." Qi Xia's lips curled up as he said to Jiang Ruoxue, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Footsteps." Qi Xia said, "The soundproofing in this old hotel isn't very good. You should have heard the footsteps before you moved, right?"

"So what?" Jiang Ruoxue pouted, "The only people who can move in this building are me and that old man. Hearing footsteps isn't surprising."

"But why did he leave earlier than you?" Qi Xia tapped the table, looking at Jiang Ruoxue with a deep meaning, "Why did our 'spy' leave first?"

"You..." Jiang Ruoxue's expression changed, as if she had realized something.

"How do you think your chances of survival are in this game?" Qi Xia kept tapping the table, trying to break down her psychological defenses with words, "If your team collaborates with our 'spy,' do you still have a chance?"

"I get it." Jiang Ruoxue's eyes grew cold, "You can't open the box, so you're targeting me? Isn't that a bit childish?"

Qi Xia nodded and said, "You see through it so quickly?"

"Don't try to manipulate me." Jiang Ruoxue took a step back, "I will never trust you."

Qi Xia stopped talking and looked at his fingers tapping the table.

"The time is almost up..." he said coldly, "Let me test if the 'parts' are useful..."

Before Jiang Ruoxue could understand what he meant, a noisy shouting sound came from another corridor.

It sounded like someone was fighting.

Unfortunately, it was a bit far to hear the details clearly.

"Good, it's 'high-quality parts.'" Qi Xia stopped tapping the table and slowly stood up, "Miss Jiang, if you had agreed to cooperate with us earlier, the outcome would have been different. But now there's no chance. You're just a 'backup part.'"

"Huh, interesting." Jiang Ruoxue shook her head helplessly, "I want to see how you can get the letter."

Qi Xia didn't try to open the lock.

Instead, he took his silver key and locked it on the box again.

Now the box had two locks.

"Are you losing your mind?" Jiang Ruoxue asked, "Adding another lock, are you trying to 'negative times negative equals positive'?"

"Am I losing my mind? It's possible." Qi Xia picked up the box and handed it to Jiang Ruoxue, "Please, help me return it to the 'sender.'"

"What?!" Jiang Ruoxue was taken aback.

Return this box with two locks to the 'sender'?

"I see..." She was suddenly shocked, realizing Qi Xia's plan, "Wait, wait..."

Qi Xia didn't wait for her to finish and pushed her out of the room, locking the door.

Jiang Ruoxue stepped into the corridor, and the countdown on the wall lit up, three minutes.

She held the box with a complex expression.

If she had known what kind of person he was, she should have pretended to agree earlier...

In the corridor, the sounds from the other corridor became clearer.

Jiang Ruoxue came to her senses and slowly leaned against the wall to listen.

Soon, her expression turned serious.

Amu sounded very angry, shouting, "You old dog, you actually destroyed the key?"